US Solar Manufacturing Sees Growth Amid Challenges: Key Updates from June 15, 2025

## Solar News This Week – June 15, 2025

**By Jay Warmke and Tim Chavez**
**June 16, 2025**

### US Solar Cell Manufacturing Grows Despite Cloudy Days Ahead

The United States has doubled its solar cell manufacturing capacity, adding 8.6 gigawatts in the first quarter of 2025. This marks the third-largest quarter for new solar manufacturing capacity on record. According to a report from Wood McKinsey for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the new solar generating capacity totaled 10.8 gigawatts. Although this is a 7 percent decrease compared to the first quarter of 2024 and 43 percent lower than the fourth quarter of the previous year, it still ranks as the fourth-largest quarter of deployment ever recorded.

The top five states for solar growth this quarter are Texas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. However, despite increasing energy demand, the solar industry may face challenges in the coming years, particularly if the Senate agrees to the cuts to renewable energy tax credits that have already been passed by the House. A spokesperson for SEIA warns that reducing these tax credits could lead to widespread project cancellations and a potential energy shortage.

### Deep Dive Into PV Hardware

The Renewable Energy Test Center (RETC) has published its 2025 PV module index report, which assesses the reliability, quality, and performance of leading solar panel manufacturers. Solar modules undergo a variety of stress tests to evaluate multiple parameters, including durability, resistance to ultraviolet light, damp heat test, hail durability, potential induced degradation (PID), static and dynamic mechanical load testing, and ultraviolet-induced degradation.

The performance tests examine module efficiency, induced angle modifier, performance at lower angles of sunlight, light-induced degradation, and temperature coefficient.

### Cyber Vulnerability Disclosed in FORESCOUT Report

A recent report from industrial cybersecurity firm FORESCOUT reveals that nearly 35,000 solar-powered devices are remotely manageable and accessible to anyone worldwide. These exposed devices, produced by 42 different companies, are vital for the operation of solar energy infrastructure.

While some management interfaces may have password protection, FORESCOUT indicates that almost none of these devices need to be online, and any that do should be secured behind a firewall. The ten vendors with the highest number of exposed devices have previously disclosed vulnerabilities, increasing their risk of being hacked. The SMA Sunny Webbox, a device that collects and reports data on solar inverter performance, is the most frequently observed equipment left accessible remotely, followed by Fronius International inverters. Although production of the Sunny Webbox ceased in 2015, thousands remain operational in the field.

### Big Beautiful Bill is a Bust for Ohio Electrical Workers

Ohio’s electrical workers are voicing their concerns this week regarding the potential impact of federal tax credit cuts and local politics on clean energy jobs. A new advertising campaign, launched in collaboration between the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the NRDC Action Fund, encourages Ohio Senators to safeguard the clean energy tax credits established under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The campaign emphasizes that these incentives are crucial for job creation and that cutting them would undermine Ohio’s economic progress.

This initiative comes as Congress debates a Republican-led reconciliation bill that could reverse clean energy credits enacted under the IRA.

### Minnesota Lawmakers Fail to Repeal Popular State Program

In response to advocacy from community and organizational groups, Minnesota lawmakers have removed repeal language from Senate Bill 2855 and its House counterpart, thereby protecting the state’s community solar garden program. This program has been instrumental in Minnesota’s clean energy transition, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefits, reducing energy costs for subscribers, and enhancing affordable solar access, particularly for low- and moderate-income residents.